Especially When You're Sad
by Tori Stone
Summary: "I'll always be here for you." "Even when I'm sad?" "Especially when you're sad."


I knoww I should be working on Relatives but I'm kind of stuck on that at the moment...haha.

And it was my grandfather's birthday the other day...he died in January, so it was a little dark around my house.

I wrote this in memory of him! (:

I don't own Danny Phantom (:

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><p><strong>Especially When You're Sad<strong>

**August 3, 2011**

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><p>Something was wrong with Sam.<p>

Danny could feel it in his bones.

She hadn't eaten in days. She hardly spoke anymore. She refused to make eye contact with Danny or Tucker, but when she did, her eyes were bloodshot, adorned with dark, bruise-like circles that hung in the skin beneath each violet orb. The corners of her mouth seemed to have succumbed to the temptations of gravity, drifting further and further down with each passing moment; her brow was furrowed constantly. She wore an expression that varied between fury and despair.

And not knowing what was hurting her drove Danny insane.

Tucker was worried too. Not nearly as much as Danny, though. Because Tucker could still function like a normal human being. He could eat, even though she didn't. He could sleep, even though she didn't. He could smile, laugh, joke around, because Sam's sadness didn't seep into his very core and control his every waking thought.

Danny couldn't.

He could feel it. The connection he had with her was strong enough that he could constantly feel her sadness radiating like body heat, even when she wasn't around.

It consumed him.

He itched to know the source of her pain, which had latched on to him like it was his own.

The overprotection hard-wired in his system simply demanded that he identify the source of her sadness and eliminate it, that he find the happiness generally generated by the beautiful, unconventional, gothic nonconformist and return it to her. He ached to see that gorgeous smile grace her violet lips, the smile that always sent his heart skittering and stomach soaring. He would give anything to know that he, Danny Fenton, had put it there.

But considering how headstrong she was, Danny knew he would not be able to talk to her about it with Tucker around. He could sense whatever it was that was eating away at her was incredibly private.

So he waited. For a week, he watched helplessly as his best friend in the world, the one who knew him better than he knew himself, slowly withered away.

And it absolutely killed him.

The day she failed to arrive at school, Danny knew it was time.

That night, he flew to her house. Not bothering to disturb her parents (as it was nearly midnight), he cautiously knocked on her dark window. He noted that the black curtains were drawn, not allowing any light to escape. He floated outside the window for a few moments, waiting for her to allow him inside. When her pale face didn't appear in the frame, he slowly phazed through, hardly daring to peer around the room for fear that she would be changing clothes. He needn't have bothered; there was absolutely no light in the room, besides the silvery glow his ghostly form emitted. He gazed around the room, searching for Sam. Right when he was about to assume she was elsewhere in the house, he heard a quiet sniffle from the direction of her bed.

His glowing green eyes snapped toward the source of the noise. Through the shadows, he could barely discern the shape of a thin, huddled girl, her face buried in her knees, which were drawn up to her chest. Her arms wound around her legs, holding them in place. Danny could feel his heart shatter into billions of microscopic pieces. He was so shocked at the sight of her that he involutarily flashed into his human self, landing on her carpeted floor with a soft _thud_.

"Go away." Her muffled, hoarse voice drifted toward him. She drew her legs closer to her torso in an effort to block Danny out.

"Sam," Danny whispered, taking a step toward her.

"I said _go!_" She shrieked, her head snapping up. She glared at him so fiercely his heart stopped. Her eyes were bloodshot; tear tracks glittered on her face, the skin on her cheeks flushed.

Danny shifted his weight uneasily between his feet. He knew she didn't want to talk; but maybe, just maybe, he could still provide her with some form of comfort. After all, that's what best friends do, right? They provide comfort without asking any questions, they provide warmth without any hesitation, they love unconditionally, they fly in the dead of night to the one in need and hold them until the hurt and the pain go away.

Best friends...

...right...

"No." Danny said. He closed the distance between himself and the bed in a few short strides, ignoring the way she recoiled from him and shouted her disagreement. "I'm not leaving, Sam. Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong. Leave me _alone_." she growled. She turned her head away from him when he sat on the bed beside her.

Danny wouldn't have it. He was determined.

"Sam, look at me." She shook her head vehemently, shifting her body away from him to reinforce her answer. Danny exhaled noisily through his nose. He caught her chin in his hand and forced her face toward his. "Sam. Look. At. Me." His voice was a bit more forceful, tinged with a hint of harshness. Her eyelids fluttered open; behind the despair, he saw just a hint of annoyance. "What's going on with you?"

"I d-don't know what you're talking ab-"

"_Sam_."

She stared at him, her eyes welling with tears. He was suddenly aware that his hand was still holding her chin; the skin on his fingers tingled slightly where they brushed against hers. But seeing her in so much emotional pain drowned the pleasure of touching her face; he wound his arms around her and drew her against his chest. Weakly, she attempted to push him away, but his arms were strong around her. She leaned into him stiffly for a few moments.

But suddenly, something changed.

She clung on to him, burying her face in the crook of his neck. She cried into his shoulder, balling her hands into fists, clinging to his shirt. Danny easily hooked his arm beneath her knees and shifted her so that she was sitting on his lap. He rubbed soothing circles on her back with one hand and tangled his other in her hair, gently stroking the feathery black locks away from her pale, tear-stained face.

"Sh-h-h..." He whispered, "It's okay...everything's okay now...I've got you..." He rocked her back and forth, not caring about the hot tears rolling down the skin of his neck where Sam was crying. They sat like that long after Sam's heaving sobs had tapered into quiet sniffles.

She leaned away, her bloodshot eyes finding his. "Thank you," She whispered. She leaned forward and planted a watery kiss on his cheek. The skin where her lips touched quite literally burned; Danny gasped. His hand was still wound in her hair; when she leaned away, he found himself leaning toward her.

Their lips met.

His blood simmered pleasantly at the feel of her soft lips moving against his.

Every nerve in his body was tingling.

But suddenly, he pulled away. When his eyelids fluttered open, she was staring at him, her eyes wide in shock. A sense of dread slowly spread through him; _how could I do that to her when she's so weak? God, she's probably gonna hate me forever for this..._

"S-Sam...I'm so sorry, please don't hate me, I didn't mean -"

He was silenced by her lips crashing into his. She pulled away a moment later, rested her forehead on his and whispered, "You talk too much,"

"But, Sam," He murmured. "I...we can't do this, not right now..."

"What?" she whispered. "What are you...I mean...you kissed me!"

"I know...I shouldn't have done that, I'm so-"

"You mean you just kissed me for_ no reason?_" Sam's voice rose several octaves. "Why would you _do_ that? What is _wrong_ with you?"

"No, Sam, that's not what I meant!" Danny said quickly. He grabbed her upper arms when she tried to twist away from him, forcing her to look at him again. Her eyes were welling with tears again, much to his dismay. "I meant it, I kissed you because I l-love you, what I meant was I didn't mean to kiss you now...not when you're like this...I felt like I was taking advantage of you being so hurt..."

Her gaze softened. "Oh," She murmured. "You...you love me?"

"More than anything," he whispered, tightening his grip around her waist.

"You mean it?"

"Absolutely."

She smiled, the despair in her eyes shrinking substantially. "I love you, too." She kissed him again, her hands on either side of his face. She pulled away, her eyes half-lidded in happiness. "And it's sweet that you're not wanting to take advantage of me, but...I really needed that,"

He grinned in ecstacy when she snuggled against his chest, her head resting against his shoulder. They were silent for a few moments.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, her breath washing over his neck. "I know I haven't been myself lately. I've seen you and Tucker worrying about me, and that means a lot. It's just...I'm going through a really hard time right now..."

Danny remained silent, waiting for her to continue.

"My...um...my grandma...she...she...died," Danny felt his heart throb painfully as her sobs renewed. He stroked his thumb across her cheekbone, catching her tears as they cascaded down her cheek. He began rocking her again, planting soft kisses on her temple and the top of her head. Her sobs did not last as long as they did the when he first found her. "I'm sorry," she repeated as she rubbed her nose.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," He murmured.

"I just...I never wanted you or Tucker to see me like this..."

"Like what? Sad?" Danny craned his neck to see her face. She was no longer crying, thankfully. "Sam, it's not like it's against the law for you to be sad. You've always been so strong, so positive. It's okay for you to be sad."

"But I have to be strong, I'm the one you and Tucker always go to when you need help with stuff. I'm the one that rallies for better treatment for animals, I'm the one that stands up for the ones who can't stand on their own, I'm the rebel. I can't be sad, or else you two won't have anyone to lean on, everything I believe in will be sent down the drain."

"You're constantly taking care of me and Tucker and everyone else who comes along. You deserve to be taken care of every once in a while, and that's exactly what I'm doing right now." Danny wound his arms around her waist and drew her closer.

"I'll always be here for you, Sam. No matter what."

"Even when I'm sad?"

"_Especially_ when you're sad." He pressed his lips against her forehead.

"You're kind of awesome,"

"Just kind of? I'm hurt!"

Sam giggled. "I'm so tired..."

"Well then you should sleep. Have you slept at all lately?" His voice rang with discomfort as he awkwardly skirted around the subject; he had nearly said "since your grandmother died?" _Wow. That would have been...yikes._

"Not really, no." She yawned.

"Sleep."

"I can't,"

"Why not?"

"Because then you'll leave."

Danny stared at her. "No I won't!" He said earnestly.

"Promise you won't leave me?"

"Sam, I will never leave you. I promise."

She curled into his side and fell asleep almost instantly. Danny slid down next to her and kissed her lightly on the forehead. "I love you, Samantha Manson."

"Call me Samantha and I will be forced to hurt you, Daniel." She mumbled, not opening her eyes.

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><p>Hope you liked it (:<p>

Review please! :D

- Tori


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